NM Sen. Ron Griggs nails it on the BLM

New Mexico state Sen. Griggs had a very good column in Sunday’s Albuquerque Journal on the stonewalling of federal Bureau of Land Management on mineral leasing in southern New Mexico. It is no surprise that BLM is not being a good steward of New Mexico’s lands. After all, what incentive do they have to excel?

I have written a fair amount recently about the all-important issue of restoring federal lands to state control. Griggs is absolutely correct that the BLM’s policies are costing New Mexico millions of dollars in annual revenues and job creation, not to mention the $26 million in royalties that the Obama Administration withheld from New Mexico this year.

Hopefully Griggs will actively work to persuade Gov. Martinez and his fellow legislators that New Mexico shouldn’t sit back and let the Feds mismanage our lands anymore and that legislation to that effect is needed.